As a man (can I say that?) I have always marvelled at the pressure placed on female celebrities not to be seen wearing the same outfit twice. Although, that said, the likes of Kate Middleton have been applauded for wearing the same garment more than once because it’s, you know, #sobrave

Even worse is being caught wearing the same thing as another person at the same event, only to be exposed later on Instagram. The horror. And with the majority of budget-savvy fashion-conscious shoppers spending their cash at the likes of Zara and H&M, the risk of this happening for mere mortals here in South Africa is incredibly high.

Enter Best Friend’s Closet (BFC), the genius Cape Town startup that enables women to rent exquisite dresses and accessories for that special occasion or event. And I’m not just talking about local brands, they’ve got the likes of Michael Kors and Prada there as well, honey. Have a look here. 

The idea of renting rather than purchasing also happens to be the latest trend in sustainable fashion globally, and can be thought of as ‘dress-recycling’. Now you can have fun browsing and wearing amazing outfits while making a positive contribution at the same time!

BFC’s founder, Robynne Klee, explained to us how the system works:

1. Browse the online catalogue of dresses and accessories (www.bestfriendscloset.co.za). Choose the garments you love, select the start date for your 4-day rental period, and add them to the Cart.
2. Head to Checkout and simply pay with your credit card. The day before the rental period starts we’ll send the items to you via overnight courier. Alternatively, you can collect at our Cape Town location same day.
3. Schedule a collection with our courier by the last day of the rental period, and return the items using the included courier return bag. We’ll handle the cleaning!

The best part – free delivery and return shipping nationwide and no deposit required!

Prada, baby..

And listen to this, courtesy of BFC founder, Robynne Klee:

Social responsibility is something very close to the heart of BFC. After reaching their maximum number of rotations, dresses and handbags are donated to The Princess Project. The BFC Studio, located at 53 Wale Street, Cape Town is also a designated drop off point for The Princess Project charity.

That’s very cool!

The BFC Studio, where all outfits can be tried on, is open by appointment only. To book your appointment, email the gang at info@bestfriendscloset.co.za or visit their website at www.bestfriendscloset.co.za.